Tears in the Rain
by Elphaba'sGirl
Summary: While at Nessarose's party over break, Fiyero overhears a heated argument between Elphaba and her father. When he goes to comfort her, he realizes how much she means to him.


**Wicked is my life. Happy day. I hope you enjoy this, it was kind of hard to write, but I felt it needed to be here.**

**disclaimer; ummm... No.**

Fiyero crouched outside of the room. Nessa had sent him to find her sister, but he'd nearly walked in on a heated argument between Elphaba and her father. He was staying at the Thropp mansion over break, mostly because Nessa had invited him to her Lurlinemas (and birthday, to some extent) party, and he thought this could fall under the category of "stalking", which could get him kicked out of Munchkinland. It wasn't that he had any special fondness for Munchkins, just Elphaba.

"This stuff is supposed to be gone!" Fiyero could hear Governor Fexspar Thropp's voice even through the wooden door.

"Well, not all of us can just forget," Elphaba spat back.

"I never gave you permission to-"

"To be here? It's my house too," she sneered.

"To keep this pitiful little... Shrine!"

"You can't just pretend she never existed! You can't just go around celebrating your little princess's birthday when it's also the day my mother died." There was a lament of silence before Elphaba finished with, "You disgust me."

The governor took a step toward his daughter, leering at her. Fred didn't respond right away. when he did, Fiyero had to strain to hear him, and then his voice rose to a bellow. "Disgust? I disgust you? You think I'm not disgusted by you? You ruined my good name, crippled your sister, and killed your mother! You're a curse, Elphaba Thropp. A curse. Get out of my sight!"

Elphaba didn't try to argue again. Fiyero heard footsteps as she ran out the door and into the hallway. The Winkie boy got up from his crouching position and ran after her.

"Elphaba!" he called.

"Go away, Fiyero," she whispered in between gasps of air. She kept running.

"Elphaba, come on."

"Please, just go back to the party." She flung open the massive door of the mansion and stepped outside.

It was pouring rain, the water coming down in whitewashed sheets, and Fiyero was drenched in a matter of seconds. But he didn't retreat.

Elphaba ran to the center of the town, where the yellow and red brick roads began. She knelt in the middle of where the roads spirited outward, and Fiyero sat next to her, rubbing her back. She looked down at the ground, not crying but on the verge of doing so.

Fiyero put his arms around her, (awkwardly, given their position), and Elphaba spun around to face him. They simultaneously made the decision to stand, and he pulled her into a warm embrace.

"You can cry if you need to, Elphaba," he whispered into her hair.

She let out a forced laugh. "Cry?"

Had she never cried? He held her closer. "It's okay."

They stood there for a minute, in the rain, just quiet and still, and then her shoulders began to shake.

Fiyero felt her start to cry. The tears came in painful, body-wracking, heart-wrenching sobs, and he held her tighter.

And that's how they stood for a long time, with Fiyero holding Elphaba close, her face buried in his chest. The tears didn't slow, in fact, they came harder.

"None of what he said was true," he told her.

Even in his embrace, she put her hands over her eyes. Fiyero stroked her drenched, ebony hair, realizing that he'd never seen it loose before. He wondered briefly if he was as much of an escape for her as she was for him.

"It'll be okay, Elphaba." He felt her try to slow her tears, but it was impossible.

"I promise, it'll get better. I'll help you. Elphaba, I-" he broke off and cleared his throat. "Fae," he said, using the nickname he'd been contemplating for her, "I love you." He didn't know if she could hear him over the rain, but he said it anyway.

Elphaba's sobs continued, and her breaths came in short bursts. Fiyero held her tighter as she pressed her face into his chest.

After that, he didn't speak, just stood there while the mist rose off yellow and red bricks and swirled around them.

Elphaba began to lean on him more, and soon she all but collapsed in his arms. Then he was holding her, and he looked into her eyes. She wasn't crying anymore, but her eyes were damp. Sweet Oz, she was beautiful.

"Fae, are you alright now?" Fiyero asked.

"Yes, Yero. Thank you." She wrapped her arms around his neck, smiling a watery smile, then realized that he was holding her and stiffened.

Yes, he loved her.


End file.
